Farmers vow to continue until demands met, security eased at Delhi borders
NEW DEHI, FEB 25 : As the thousands of farmers participating in the ‘Dilli Chalo’ march continue to camp at the Punjab-Haryana border, farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher said that the agitation will go on until all their demands are met. He urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to speak on “whatever is happening with the farmers.”
The farmers have paused their ‘Dilli Chalo’ march until February 29 and are holding multiple events at the Shambhu and Khanauri borders. A candlelight march was organised at the protest site on Saturday mourning the death of the farmer killed during the agitation a few days ago.
Meanwhile, the authorities initiated the process to partially reopen the Singhu and Tikri borders between Delhi and Haryana, which had been sealed since the protests started on February 13.
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Farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher said on Sunday that the protest will continue until the central government meets their demands and the decision on Dilli Chalo march will be taken on December 29. Until then, multiple events are planned at the Punjab-Haryana border, he added.
“Today is the 13th day of the morchas at Shambhu and Khanauri. Today, we will have a convention on both borders as there will be a discussion on World Trade Organisation. We have demanded that the farming sector should be taken out of WTO…We will hold a press conference in the evening…We are asking PM Modi to speak on whatever is happening with the farmers,” he said.
The protesters on Saturday Night took out a candle march at Shambhu and Khanauri on Punjab’s border with Haryana in memory of the farmer who died during the ongoing agitation. Shubhkaran, 21, was killed in the clash in Khanauri on February 21. His cremation has not taken place yet with farmer leaders being adamant that the Punjab government orders registration of an FIR against those responsible for his death.
Meanwhile, Union Agriculture Minister Arjun Munda reiterated the government’s openness to discussions and urged talks to find a solution, as farmers hinted at the possibility of the protest continuing even after the model code of conduct for the Lok Sabha polls comes into force. “…We should try that peace should be maintained in the country…We have always conversed and further also we will do so to find a solution. We welcome all the suggestions too. I hope we will discuss the issue further too. The Government of India is dedicated to the development of the agriculture sector,” the minister said.
Today, seminars will be organised at the protest site on issues related to farmers. On Monday, effigies of the World Trade Organization and the Centre will be burnt. On February 27, meetings of the forums associated with the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM will be held across the country and on February 28, a common meeting of SKM and KMM forums will take place. The farmer leaders will convene a meeting to decide the next step in the Dilli Chalo march on February 29.
Thousands of farmers are staying put at Khanauri and Shambhu after police stopped their march to Delhi to press the Centre for various demands, including a legal guarantee of minimum support price (MSP) for crops, implementation of the Swaminathan Commission’s recommendations, pension for farmers and farm labourers, no hike in electricity tariff, withdrawal of police cases and “justice” for the victims of the 2021 Lakhimpur Kheri violence, reinstatement of the Land Acquisition Act, 2013, and compensation to the families of the farmers who died during a previous agitation in 2020-21 among other demands.
-PTI
